Xbox 360 Slim Mods

Ready for a Challenge?

Modding the Xbox 360 Slim is a bit harder than before, yet people are still up for the challenge. There are no removable faceplates so that's pretty much a no-go (Microsoft did away with those because of low faceplate sales), and with more energy efficiency with the 3-in-1 Valhalla chip, adding extra fans to cool the machine with LED lighting isn't necessary anymore. But again, people are finding ways to enhance the already stylish game system. There are also companies willing to alter the look of your 360 for a price if you simply must have a one-of-a-kind console. I'm not sure why Xbox 360 owners must stray from the manufactured look of the console; maybe they're a bit more creative than PS3 or Wii owners; maybe they just want to stand out from among the drones who are satisfied with their factory-sealed console, or maybe they want to express their rebellious views on society. Whatever it is, Xbox 360 owners are changing the extraterrestrial look and feel of their Slim consoles and making them a bit more personalized. Let take a view of some of the ones meeting the challenge

Simple, yet Fast

As soon as the Xbox 360 Slim was released, there was already a simple mod posted on the web. It was a mod by Solomods and, although it was pretty quick work, it wasn't anything to be too amazed about. The mod itself just has a portion of a clear case to view the insides through with blue LED lights shining. Everything else is pretty much the same. You can find the video on the web with a person inserting the game "Red Dead Redemption" letting people know it's a workable mod. The company itself also does Wii and Playstation 3 mods for those interested. They noted some of the things they didn't like about the Xbox 360 Slim from the glossy fingerprint magnet case to the lack of removable faceplate. Concerning faceplates, with Microsoft upgrading their console, they've made it so that modding it is a bit more difficult which would of course hurt third-party companies like this one offering accessories and mods for the system.

Credit: amazon

Self-Sufficient Game Console

For instance, the new chipset makes it so overheating isn't an issue thus ridding customers of the dreaded red ring of death. Where do you suppose that leaves companies like Nyko who make the LED-lit cooling fans? Hopefully not out of business, but for sure in a tougher spot. Xbox 360 mods, whether for practical or creative purposes, will have to adapt to the new, less dependent, Xbox 360 Slim. Of course, that's good for you and I (the less we have to spend to maintain our systems the better), but those making a living off the failure of popular consoles (like bad cooling) will have to find new ways to profit off of them.

Mods That Improve

Buying an Xbox 360 Slim has become less expensive because of all the self-sustaining elements of the console, but beyond mods that keep your console working, there are mods that can completely add new features. An interesting mod to point out is the one Ben Heck produced awhile back when he turned his Xbox 360 into a laptop. It looks nothing like the original console, instead it has a nice gray metallic look with an LCD screen that folds over the Xbox portion in the same manner a laptop would. It gives the system a new feature: portability. The touch-sensitive buttons are still present, and the disc tray pops out from the front of the device. From the outside it looks a bit like a suitcase, which is fitting because it's likely you'll be using it on the go. Design-wise it may not blow people away, but it's interesting because you can take it on trips to watch DVD movies or play games - much more versatile than your average portable DVD player.

Nostalgic Gamers

For those who remember the golden age of Xbox 360 mods, it could be a little bittersweet. Modding may not be all that necessary now on the new console, yet less money having to be spent on accessories allows you to buy more Xbox Live Gold memberships - which, unless you receive free Xbox Live codes, can be kind of pricey compared to the free online gameplay Playstation 3 offers. Either way, mods are still being created for the Xbox 360 Slim and more should be coming out soon. In fact, some companies are making a profit off the uniform black color the 360 Slim sports. if you don't want to mess with the internal workings of your console, there's a company who will add more color to your device for a fee. Colorwarepc gives customers the ability to select whatever color they want dividing the Xbox 360 Slim into eight sections, adding more uniqueness to your console. They will also paint your controller to keep everything consistent. So it's not all that bad. We're entering into a new generation of modding. Let's see what the seventh generation has to offer.